Starkville, MS- Mississippi State opened up the doubleheader with a 3-2 victory, winning the series over Princeton.

After his breakout start against Texas Tech on Tuesday, Parker Stinnett made his second start of the season. The senior from Oxford got off to a rocky start, allowing 3 singles in the first inning leading to an RBI single by Princeton right fielder Matt Scannell to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.

Stinnett found himself in a bit of trouble in the second inning after allowing a 2 out single and a pair of walks, but he battled out of it striking out Princeton star-left fielder Nadir Lewis. The strikeout on Lewis seemed to get Stinnett settled in as he retired the next 12 of the next 13 Princeton batters, striking out eight of them.

In the third, the Bulldogs got on the board, as Princeton starter Andrew D'Alessio walked Lane Forsythe and Luke Hancock and hit Kamren James with a pitch. Freshman Hunter Hines worked a full count and walked in the tying run, and Logan Tanner gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead with a sac-fly.

State got another run across in the sixth as 3rd baseman Slate Alford knocked in an RBI single. It was the first career RBI for the freshman from Madison, Al, and he's been a solid piece in the Bulldog lineup the past two games, reaching base safely five times.

Stinnett's day was done after the sixth inning, and he finished tying his career-high with 12 strikeouts, allowing just 4 hits and 1 run. Brandon Smith relieved him in the seventh and got the Princeton lineup down 1-2-3 before getting the first out of the eight.

Cam Tullar came in to face the lefty Nadir Lewis; he forced him to ground out and got out of the inning with a strikeout.

Tullar surrendered a base hit to Princeton pinch-hitter Eric Marasheski to begin the ninth, and State would make the switch to Brooks Auger. Auger would get a strikeout for the first out, but he'd be taken out after surrendering a single to 3rd baseman Nick DiPietriantonio. Jackson Fristoe came in and allowed a single shortstop Noah Granet to load the bases.

Princeton's leadoff hitter Brendan Cumming hit a fly ball to left field, but Kamren James lost it in the sun, and he had a single, cutting the lead to 3-2, but Cumming would pass Granet on the bases and be ruled out for the 2nd out. Mikey Tepper would replace Fristoe, and he would get Princeton's 2nd baseman Alejandro Espinel to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

Game 2 of the doubleheader will begin at approximately 2:15 PM Central Time.